Car and Driver speculates that BMW may begin using the 2-series moniker as soon as the front wheel drive 1-series arrives. C&D points to the fact that several 2-series trademarks were registered just this month and an M2 trademark back in June. They further speculate that the future FWD BMWs will take on the 1-series name, while the RWD entry level coupes and convertibles will be badged the 2-series. More details below:

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BMW’s Future to Include 2-series?
October 21, 2010 at 3:34 pm by Justin Berkowitz

BMW—like its competitors Audi and Mercedes—is hot to add to its small-car portfolio, and new information suggests that the Munich-based firm could be planning as many as four new and/or rethought products to slot below the 3-series by 2015.

For enthusiasts, certainly the most exciting prospect is the possibility of a 2-series. Just this month, BMW filed U.S. trademark applications for the monikers 228, 230, and 235. The -28, -30, and -35 suffixes are currently affixed to six-cylinder engines in BMW’s other cars, a strategy that could carry over to the nascent 2, although it wouldn’t surprise us if such a car arrived with four-cylinders among the powertrain options. (BMW hasn’t stuck to a straight badge-to-displacement naming strategy for some time.) Either way, our sources tell us that the car is likely to be rear-wheel drive. All of this also puts BMW’s June trademark application for “M2″ in some very exciting context.

How does this square with the current 1-series? In mid-2011, the current 1-series hatchbacks will get a heavy face lift. It’s possible that, starting then, coupes on that RWD platform will adopt 2-series badging. More probable, though, is that once the 1-series switches to a front-wheel-drive platform—a change widely expected to take place around 2015—BMW would launch the 2-series as its entry-level rear-driver. Our guess is that the 2-series would be a two-door coupe/convertible only, at least in our market.

Baby Bimmers (Yes, Plural) on the Way

But we’re not done yet. Beneath that front-drive 1-series, BMW is planning two more models. Smallest in size will be the all-electric Megacity—which, as you might have guessed, is a city car (although it’s said to be bigger than a Mini). A more conventional entry below the 1-series is on the way, too: a Ford Fiesta–sized front-wheel-driver. That vehicle and the 1-series are likely candidates to offer a new gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain, which BMW recently announced will be jointly developed with Peugeot-Citroën. The companies already collaborated on gas four-cylinders for front-wheel-drive applications (it’s in the Mini Cooper), and this new hybrid system likely will leverage the next generation of that family.

As usual, this influx of information answers some questions about BMW’s plans but raises more: Will Saab utilize one of the front-wheel-drive platforms for its upcoming small car? Will the Swedish company (and BMW’s own Mini) have access to the hybrid technology? And most important of all, if the M2 ever emerges, it’ll have a stick, right?

so bmw is going to have every car that every person needs, no matter the level of enthusiasm.

I can dig it.

Thats whats up. You see, Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, Porshe all have a parent company to answer to. Each of these car companies shares a ton of components, chassis etc. with the cookie cutter cars from the parent co.. BMW on the otherhand is all on its own and has free reign when it comes to the product. Gotta love it.

i would rather see the rebirth of the 8 series. bmw does not have any car to compete with the sl mercedes. c class= 3 series. cl class=6 series. slk class=z series. e class/cls class= 5 series. s class= 7 series. sl class=?????????

The decision to finally step up and use the designation 2er is currently under intensive discussion in Munich.
The original E82 and E88 were considered to be adapted to the 2er but since the advent of BMW's strategy for increased models on it's compact architecture has brought the topic back into discussion.

The key is to seperate the Sporting incarnations of the 1er - Coupe and Cabrio from the traditional and lifestyle portfolio of the car in which this generation of 1er will see additional concepts arrive within the next four years.

The idea is the conventional Sporthatch will be joined by a Gran Turismo and Compactive Sports Tourer and other concepts so the portfolio will increase.
it seems logical to rename the Coupe and Cabrio so they reflect on the sporting designation of "2" which will also come with the Z2 Roadster and Coupe currently in development for a late 2013 introduction.

2 is also relevant to the style of the new car because it becomes more 2002 like , it will not be a Coupe variant of the hatch , the entire front facia will look different from the hatch as will the more 2002-like bathtub character-line.

Love the look of the 2002 - classic BMW. It'll be interesting to see how this one unfolds.
Personally, I have no desire to go back to a FWD car and will only choose RWD or AWD if the configuration is correct... lots of power!

That's fairly expected, but what about the potential 3-based Gran Coupe? To me, it seems like this model - if it makes it to production - would be a perfect place to introduce the 4 Series nameplate. It would solidfy this car as a step up from the 3 series. Then after a few generations of establishing the name, the 3 series coupe and convertible could potentially be move to the 4 series as well (or not).

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A gen-u-ine BMW eff-eight-zero with them tandem clutches in the transmission and that dad gum sun roof on the top-a da cawr.

I think that this has been said before but one VERY key thing behind BMW's decision to make smaller cars is the euro requirements that are similar to the US government efficiency standards. They have to make smaller and more efficient cars to bring their fleet average mpg rating up!